Man who tried to shoot Pennsylvania pastor during sermon had body in his home, police say

Hours after a man is accused of trying to shoot a pastor during a sermon, a body was found in his home, according to Pennsylvania police and news reports.

“I’m thankful to God that I’m still here, because he definitely pulled the trigger,” Glenn Germany, the pastor at Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church in North Braddock, told WTAE.

Pennsylvania State Police said the attempted shooting at the Pittsburgh-area church happened just after 1 p.m. Sunday, May 5.

As Germany was giving his sermon, a man identified as 26-year-old Bernard Junior Polite came to the front of the church and pointed a gun at the pastor, state police said. He attempted to shoot, but the weapon failed to discharge, authorities said.

Video shared by Germany on Facebook shows a churchgoer subdue Polite before Germany wrestled the gun away from him.

“I thank God because only God stopped and jammed this gun,” Germany told KDKA.

According to a complaint obtained by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Polite said he tried shooting the pastor “because the spirits in his head told him to.”

Polite said “God told me to do it,” according to the complaint, which said no one at the church knew who he was.

About seven hours later, police said officers found a man shot and killed in Polite’s home, WPXI reported. He was identified as 56-year-old Derek Polite, a relative of the accused church shooter.

It’s unclear if Bernard Junior Polite is responsible for the killing, KDKA reported.

He was charged with attempted homicide from the church incident, reports say.

North Braddock is a suburb of Pittsburgh, and is a roughly 11-mile drive southeast from the city’s downtown.

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